The ancient Greek’s used to consider diet (diaita was their word for it) a way of life. It was everything that you exposed yourself to. Food, exercise, relaxation, meditation, learning, pleasure, etc. The ancient Greek’s knew that a healthy diet was the right balance of all of these various external inputs.
Over time, as more and more chronic diseases related to obesity and metabolic disorder have boomed, our mindset on diet has changed quite a bit. Now diet is what you do when you need to lose weight. Diet is what you do when the doctor scares the crap out of you at your annual check-up. Diet is that dreaded word we tell people when they ask us to go out for ice cream or for a few drinks.
When I hear people talk about dieting today, it reminds me of a rodeo. We go from crash course program to crash course program hoping to lose weight and fix all of our health problems in 30 days. Doesn’t that feel like jumping on the dieting bull and holding on for as long as we can until it throws us off? Sure you may set a new personal record for how long you held on for but won’t you inevitably end up back on the ground anyway?
This rodeo approach to dieting is why so many people lose 30+ pounds in a short period of time but gain it all back after. We never learn the foundations of good nutrition. We never fully repair our metabolisms or our broken hunger signaling. We often miss the adaptations that would allow us actually maintain our health improvements and put us in a position to make more.
Diet is more like riding a bike. Sure you are going to fall off sometimes, especially when you are first starting. But falling off doesn’t mean you go back to square one. It just means you have to get back up and continue. You continually get better over time until the falls are infrequent and less damaging when they occur.
When it comes to nutrition, it’s not about how long we can hold on for. It’s about realizing that we have to retrain ourselves when it comes to our nutrition habits and this takes time. It’s something that will require effort just like your career and your relationships. It’s something that will be worth it when you achieve AND maintain better health!
Thanks for reading,
Chris Irvin
P.S. I have a new favorite protein shake flavor. Equip Strawberry Beef Protein. Great flavor and switch up from the typical chocolate and vanilla protein flavors. Blend super well into all liquids and has a really smooth texture. Lately, I have been combining it with Perfect Keto peanut butter MCT oil powder for a delicious post-workout shake. Use code THEKETOLOGIST to snag a discount!